AN HISTORIC Pershore hotel has returned to local ownership for the first time in nearly a century after it was bought by a firm owned by a town businessman.
The popular Angel Hotel has been bought from Enterprise Inns by the current operator, Spirit Ventures, an investment company owned by Pershore entrepreneur Darren Eden who hailed the purchase as ‘securing a valuable town asset for decades to come.’
Spirit Ventures have held the lease to the town centre hotel since 2008, and have invested hundreds of thousands of pounds in refurbishing the Tudor building, as well as restoring the riverside gardens for community events such as Pershore Carnival, Bonfire Night and the Big Plum.
This is the first time since the 1920s the Angel Hotel has been owned locally when it was then bought by Cheltenham Brewery. The hotel remained in their hands until 2003 when ownership then passed over to Enterprise Inns.
“We’re absolutely delighted to bring The Angel back into local ownership after so long,” Darren said.
“We are bucking the trend of pub closures and corporate ownership by securing a valuable town asset for the community for decades to come.
“We’re a committed local employer and Investors in People Gold organisation.
“We’ve shown through the years that we want to play an active part in town life, hosting events throughout the year and sourcing drinks and produce from local suppliers like Pershore College and Pershore Brewery.
The Angel Hotel was an important inn and posting house in the town for centuries, serving the main road between Worcester, Oxford and London. It’s believed Queen Elizabeth I stayed in the hotel.
Mr Eden added that the purchase will enable his firm to speed up their investment plans for the hotel.
“We have invested into The Angel over the years, most recently by completing our refurbishment of the ground floor with our new look restaurant and lounge,” he said.
“The acquisition will allow us to escalate our investment programme into the property and its land, including refurbishment of the existing bedrooms, and possible future expansion.
“We want to engage with our customers, our team and the community on our future plans, as we believe The Angel will increasingly become a powerful draw for visitors to the town, and a source for pride for townspeople,” he added.
